


In Tragedy and In Life

by theonewithwaytoomanyfandoms



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Hospitals, Light Angst, Post-Series, Santos Administration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-14 02:19:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18043601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theonewithwaytoomanyfandoms/pseuds/theonewithwaytoomanyfandoms
Summary: Josh, Donna, and a hospital bed.





	In Tragedy and In Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Joshanddonna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joshanddonna/gifts).



> Because I really just wanted a happy scene with them in a hospital. Promptfic.

Tragedy usually ended in hospital rooms.

 

This was a phenomenon Joshua Lyman was more than aware of, having faced said tragedies in his life.  Although he might not have been at the hospital for his father’s death and his sister didn’t even make it to the hospital before she died, Josh was intimately acquainted enough with the inside of a hospital room to last a lifetime. 

 

The first time he woke up in a hospital room was after he had been shot that fateful summer outside the Newseum in Rosslyn, Virginia.  He doesn’t remember exactly what happened beforehand, but he remembers almost too well everything that happened after.  The physical, emotional, and mental recovery the shooting took to overcome was immense, and Josh didn’t think he would ever fully get over that horrible time in his life.  Roughly half a year later, he went to the ER of the same hospital that had saved his life, this time following a hand through a window and a PTSD diagnosis.  He reflects upon that time in his life with anxiety, but also strength, considering the fact that both times he was in the hospital related to the shooting and its aftermath, Donna had been there to support him.

 

Donna. His best friend in the whole world, the best working partner he’d ever had, and the love of his life.  Oh yes, and also his wife.  She’d been with him through good times and bad, and he’d tried (admittedly not as well) to do the same for her.  He remembers one of the worst days of his life, when the White House had learned that there had been an attack on the delegation to Gaza that Donna had been a part of, and she was being airlifted to Germany for emergency treatment in a United States military hospital.  Leo had given permission, and Josh went without a second thought.  It was hard enough seeing her in the hospital bed when he first arrived, eaten alive with the guilt that he had sent her there.  It was even worse when he had come back to the hospital with flowers for her, only to be told by the doctor that she had developed a pulmonary embolism, the same thing that had killed his father, and that she might die too.  He’d be damned if this hospital took another person he loved away from this earth.  After he had seen her in the OR and tried to reassure her that it would all be alright, he promised himself that if she died, he would go with her.

 

Thankfully for both of their lives, Donna had recovered.  But the trip to the hospital in Germany sent Josh and Donna on a long journey of separation, sadness, self-discovery, reuniting, friendship, and eventually fulfillment of love.  By the time the inauguration of President Matthew Santos had arrived, Josh Lyman and Donna Moss were committed to spending the rest of their lives together.  They were married only a few months later.

 

It was at this point in their lives that Josh and Donna Lyman were very sure that they would be happy if they never saw the inside of a hospital room again.  To Josh, hospitals meant the tragedies of his past with death and near-death.  To Donna they meant nearly the same, and as the most recent occupier of a hospital bed in their little family, still held onto a fear and survivor’s guilt that could rival her husband’s.  Both, however, had forgotten one important detail about families that caused their whole lives to change.

 

* * *

“Josh?”

“Yeah- hold on, hold on I’m in the kitchen.”

“Joshua, could you come to the couch please?”

“Donna, I don’t know what you’re asking for, but if you want a repeat performance of our after-dinner celebration I am more than happy to- “

“Josh! You need to stop being, you know, you for about ten minutes.”

“Now where have I heard that line before?” Josh grinned.

 

Donna stood behind the couch unamused.  She had something absolutely shattering to tell him, he had no idea what, and he was goofing off like the man she absolutely loved.  It was this normalcy that caused her to take a deep breath and center herself. She had big news today, and she was going to tell her husband.

 

“Joshua, come sit down on the couch please.”

“Am I in trouble? What did I do? Is this about me sneaking your cookies from your office so that the President and I could share them?” Josh gulped. He knew he wouldn’t get away from that little prank that easily.

“No, but thank you for telling me, now I can rat you out to Helen, I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to hear you’ve been sneaking her husband sugar at all hours of the night.” Donna sighed.

“Well if it’s not that, then—”

“Josh”

“Sorry. Go ahead, sorry. What’s going on? You look worried. Are you sick? Oh no, this is awful, I knew that something was wrong when you threw up yesterday!”

“JOSH!” Donna smirked, amused at her poor husband’s antics. “You have to calm down. It’s not bad. I promise. Just…different.”

“Okay, okay. I’m ready. Let’s hear it.”

Donna took a deep breath. “I’m going to confirm this with the doctor next week, but I took three tests today when you left for work and…I’m pregnant.” She waited with bated breath for his reaction.

Josh couldn’t believe it.  She was pregnant? They were going to have a baby? His face lit up. Donna noted with some amusement that it was the same face that he had made before he had kissed her for the first time.  This seemed even brighter than that though. It was the happiest she’d ever seen him.

 

“Donna. Oh my god. Donna! We’re gonna be parents oh my god!”

“Yes, yes.”

“I can’t believe this I never thought-woo!” Josh exclaimed as he picked Donna up and spun her around their apartment.

“Josh. Josh! Joshua, put me down!” Donna laughed. “You’re going to hurt your back!”

“Nothing could hurt me today, Donna! We’re gonna have a baby!” He beamed. “Well, you’re having a baby, but I’ll be there every step of the way.”

Donna laughed again. “Okay, okay. I’m happy. I’m so happy that you’re happy.”

Josh’s face became serious again. “Donna, are you happy? I know this is really fast, and we just finished our first year in office, and we just got married like six months ago, and—”

“Josh,” Donna interrupted, “I am so happy I don’t have the words to say it. Yes, we are both busy people. Yes, it will be difficult. But that’s why marriage and parenting are a team effort, right? We’ll be alright. Do I have some doubts about motherhood? Of course I do. I’d be shocked if you don’t have similar worries about being a father. But we’re gonna be fine. I believe in us. And I love you.”

 

Josh stared at his beautiful wife. He was so in awe of her and her ability to read him so well every day.  She was going to make an amazing mother, and he hoped that he could just measure up to be as decent of a father. “You’re gonna be a great mom, Donna,” he told her while trying to hold back tears.  “I wouldn’t want to do this with anybody else. I love you so much. So, so much.” Josh beamed as Donna smiled equally as bright. They were meant to do this, he knew. They would be parents and they would have so much joy and love in their house that his heart would burst. He knew it.

* * *

Later that night, when him and Donna had settled into bed after celebrating their big news, Donna was the first to voice the couple’s age-old concern.

“Josh…? You know that we’ll have to go to the hospital when the baby is born, right?”

“Oh. Now that you mention it, I didn’t even think about that. I was so happy right now that—wow, there’s so much to do, isn’t there?” Josh began to worry.

Donna grimaced a bit. “I was more thinking that hospitals don’t have the best relationship with us, do they?”

Josh gently stroked her back while he held her close. “I suppose not, but this will be a happy occasion, right?”

“But so many things could go wrong, Josh, I don’t know—”

“Hey, hey. We can’t think like that with this. I mean, I’m sure I will at some point, because I’m, you know, me, but this is our baby. We gotta think good thoughts.”

Donna sighed. “I guess you’re right. I just never want to be this worried,” she indicated the scar on his chest that the bullet had left behind, “ever again.”

“I know. And I sure as hell never thought I’d ever want to see you in a hospital bed again after what happened…you know. But I’ll be there with you the whole time. The whole time.” He kissed her forehead while she kissed his chest. “We’ll be alright, Donnatella. No matter what, we’ll be together.”

“I love you so much.”

Josh closed his eyes and thought about how lucky he was to have this amazing and growing family. “I love you too.”

 

* * *

Roughly about seven to eight months later, both Josh and Donna’s predictions for the birth of their firstborn baby came true. As Josh predicted, they were together when Donna’s contractions started and her water broke. As Donna predicted, everything else was a little chaotic after that.  Josh guided Donna out of their apartment with her go-bag on his shoulder, visibly panicking but trying to hold it together for his equally anxious wife. He made it to the car and quickly started it, cutting through Georgetown and the neighboring areas, blowing through at least three red lights before he pulled up to George Washington University Hospital’s ER parking lot. Being sure he wasn’t going to block any ambulances, he quickly jumped out of the car and helped Donna through the front doors, as at this point, she was in quite a lot of pain. They quickly made it up to the nurse’s station to check-in, thanking the powers that be that Donna had had the foresight to pre-register them at the hospital.

 

“How can I help you two?”

“I’m- ouch- Donna—oh shit- Donna Moss Lyman and- oh my god ouch—I’m pretty sure I’m having my baby.”

The nurse smiled. “First time parents?” she asked Josh, giving Donna a break from speaking through her contractions.

“Yes, and we’d really like to see her doctor as soon as possible, please?” Josh bounced on his feet anxiously as he spoke with the nurse.

“Well, you’re in luck Mr. and Mrs. Lyman, because Dr. Malone is on call and will be right with you as soon as we set you up in a room!” The nurse came around with a wheelchair for Donna and told her to follow her “Right this way!”

 

As things got underway, Donna was relegated to a hospital room and concurrently, a hospital bed.  At this point, Josh started to worry but he knew he had to keep calm for Donna. She’d always taken such good care of him, that it was the least he could do to take care of her during what was going to be one of the most upending moments of their lives. Dr. Malone had come in earlier saying that she was progressing very quickly, and at 8cm dilated, she would be back to prep for delivery in about a half hour, or sooner if she was needed. Josh had taken his watch by Donna’s bedside, holding her hand and stroking her hair. He was so nervous, but he was also excited to meet their little baby. 

 

“You nervous, love?” Donna asked as her husband quietly stroked her hair and hand while they waited for the doctor to come back.”

“I think the better question is how _you’re_ feeling, Donna. I’m here for you today.” Josh replied.

“I know, and I’m so grateful for you. But I’m tuned to you. I know how you worry.”

“You know, I am worried, but not as worried as I was.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I look at you in this hospital bed, and I realized something.”

Donna smiled through her pain. “And what’s that?”

“I’m gonna finally have something to be happy about in a hospital room.”

Donna smiled again, He was ready. And so was she.

* * *

 After a total of 5 (relatively short) hours of labor, Donna and Josh’s baby was born at 3am on a Tuesday.

At 3:01, Donna slumped back into Josh’s arms, exhausted but happy.

At 3:02, Josh watched Donna hold his firstborn daughter in her arms, happy and healthy, and he started to cry. Nothing, not even marrying the love of his life, had ever felt like this before.

 

* * *

Later, when the baby was cleaned, swaddled, and given an excellent Apgar score and a healthy outlook, the nurses and doctors finally left Josh and Donna alone with the baby for the first time. Josh had called his mom, Donna’s parents, the Santoses, the Bartlets, CJ, Sam, Toby, Charlie, and anyone else from his wonderful group of friends that wouldn’t mind getting a voicemail at 3:30am. Now it was finally time for the new parents to relax and enjoy their time with their family’s newest addition.

“How ya doin?” Josh asked as Donna looked up tiredly from watching the baby and reached out to stroke his cheek.

“More tired than I’ve ever been in my entire life, but so happy. You?”

“I’m so happy Donna. You’re healthy, she’s healthy. You did so great. I’m so proud of you, today and every day.”

Donna teared up a little. “Do you want to hold her? You haven’t gotten a chance to yet.”

Josh looked at her with wonder. “Really?”

Donna laughed quietly. “Yes, of course Josh. She’s your daughter. You’re her father. You should bond.”

“Ah- ah-kay.” Josh took the baby from her mother’s arms with the most caution he’d ever exercised in his life. He pulled back the blankets his daughter was swaddled in a bit and let her take his breath away. “Hello little baby. Hello Leigha Joan.” Josh didn’t think he could ever be happier than he was in this moment. He kissed Donna, held his newborn baby girl, and sighed.

 

* * *

Tragedy usually ended in hospital rooms.  But hope, and love, and life often began in hospital rooms. And to Joshua Lyman, that made all the difference.

* * *

_Leigha Joan Lyman was born on February 7 th, 2008. 5lbs, 2oz, 21 inches. She is celebrated at her arrival by her mother Donna Moss Lyman, and her father Josh Lyman. Mother and baby doing well, father doing as well as expected. _

_~Birth Announcements, Archived at The Washington Post, 2008._


End file.
